Vindicator shares the blame

Last Sunday’s article by Ber- tram de Souza about the cesspool in our local politics seems to me to be also a criticism of The Vindicator’s editorial endorsement policies.

How many times have those editors endorsed for public office the very people named in de Souza’s column? Your editors suffer the same political bias as most of the voters in this area who are responsible as to who is elected to public office.

To run for public office takes a lot of money. Big money often calls for big favors.

In my experience, I have witnessed a federal investigation stopped in its tracks. At the very least, the big money people will use all their political influence to minimize the consequences. I have seen local political influence reach all the way to the White House.

If anybody thinks that federal agents cannot be compromised, they must have their head in the sand. Federal agents are no different than the local people. There are good and corrupt people in every organization.

It is my belief that The Vindicator should stop political endorsements. Then their criticisms of political officeholders would carry more weight

Donald G. Baker, Youngstown

The writer is a former Youngstown police chief.

Can’t we all just get along?

Nothing says Christmas like Washington infighting over the fiscal cliff. I suppose Americans can learn a few lessons this holiday season about compromise and working together to agree on mutually acceptable outcomes, but they will not be learned from this Congress and certainly not this president.

It is not as if Washington did not see this issue coming prior to Election Day. We knew about the fiscal cliff well in advance. But instead of working on this issue over the course of the year, Congress and the White House decided to put this off until the zero hour, with the end result being a piece of legislation hastily thrown together in under two months that ultimately may or may not solve the problem before January — except the problem is there is no piece of legislation at this point in December, and there are only now a few shopping days left until Christmas.

The dysfunction within Congress and with the White House is astounding, even more so than the visceral hatred that has culminated between Republicans and Democrats these last few years. Whatever is going on in Washington must be a game to both political parties, and the loser in all of it is the American people who put these people in charge of a job at which they are failing.

This kind of hardline politics is killing the American system. People will blame the Republicans, or they will blame the Democrats, but the real blame lies in the inability to make concessions on both sides of the aisle to arrive at legislation that mutually benefits everyone. We all live in this country, and though we may disagree on policies, we do not have to be out there actively trying to sabotage the other side in the name of politics. I do not think Boehner, Reid, or Obama quite understand that point of view but maybe it will sink in before January, or if not soon after.

No one gets everything they want for Christmas, but everyone is usually happy with whatever they do end up getting, even if it is an ugly sweater. If both sides in Washington settle on an ugly sweater before January, at least we will all be warm, even if we have to settle on looking ridiculous.

Alex Mangie, CPA, Canfield

A disgusting broad-sided attack

I would like to respond to last Sunday’s letter, “Misfits and deviants who voted for Obama will rue the day.”

In this letter, a man gave his strong and bigoted opinion on “misfits and deviants,” such as bloodthirsty and single women, homosexuals, dependent minorities and atheists and secularists. As much as I believe in everyone’s freedom of speech, this just disgusted me to no ends.

First, Obama had nothing to do with his letter except he needed someone to blame and it is obvious to me that this gentlemen has absolutely no idea what its like to be a female or to walk a mile in her shoes. If he did, he would have understood that in certain circumstances, women have to make difficult decisions that many don’t agree with, even myself, but I respect their right to choose.

As far as the birth control issue, he should have researched that birth control is not just for “unbridled” conduct; its also used to treat many other issues that women deal with on a monthly basis. Concerning his other misfits, homosexuals and dependent minorities, who is he to judge them? They don’t want preferential treatment, and he doesn’t have to accept them, their not pushing that issue. All they want is to be able to be treated with respect and given the same equality we all have. What’s wrong with that? In the Lord’s eyes, love is love and anyone trying to turn any kind of love between two consenting adults into something negative, doesn’t know the meaning of the word love.

And as for people like me, the dependent minority, has he ever known what it’s like to be poor and have to rely on food stamps because you’re unemployed or elderly or deficient? I bet not. Does he think people really want to be on food stamps and relying on others such as the government, to take care of them because at the moment they can’t take care of themselves? No way.

As far as atheism and secularism go, they have a right to believe or not believe, and it’s not our job to tell them otherwise.

Lastly, he said “we don’t want these people” and that God will not save such people. If he feels that strongly about it, then leave us people alone. We adapt to change and can survive any tribulation sent our way and we live each day knowing that God loves us. I will last week’s writer to my prayers at night because, quite frankly, it’s him who needs to be saved.

Melissa Magan, Youngstown

Help for the entrepreneurs

I enjoyed Todd Franko’s com- mentary Sunday about the new businesses at the corner of Federal and Phelps. I agree that this intersection has recently become a “special corner” in Youngstown. But more can and should be done toward revitalization of our downtown.

I also agree with Lisa Reali, my barber, who told Mr. Franko: “My [business plan] was contingent on growth of downtown. Daytime business growth has not been as strong as nighttime growth.”

As Mr. Franko wrote, Lisa has not “failed” in her business, which she started almost four years ago. Rather, she has been forced by business conditions to “downsize” what has been a unique salon in the downtown area. This causes me to think about what — if anything — might be done to assist local hard-working entrepreneurs like Lisa Reali to fully realize their creative business potential.

Atty. Jan Mostov, Boardman

Labor law makes unions obsolete

The reality of Right To Work is that unless you can organize the world, union dues are money flushed. Short of a global disaster of biblical proportions, the exponential growth of unskilled labor worldwide is only going straight up.

So why join a union? Labor laws apply to everyone, not just union members. Individual rights permit the filing of claims against employers without union help. Unions these days are negotiating in reverse ... give backs, plant closings etc.

You don’t have to look far to see the local impact of unions. RG Steel which has a union in Warren is liquidating while V&M Star without a union is booming. The residents of Michigan are the big winners, while we will continue in decline.